Rajendra Pachauri, head of the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)

We all knew it was coming...

Back in 2006, this column reported on the UN's conclusion that livestock farming created more greenhouse gas emissions than all planes, trucks, and automobiles combined. Predictably, the UN is now asking that we "shun meat" to fight climate change. While various lawmakers have proposed banning everything from plasmaTVs to sports cars, this call came from a substantially higher level.

Rajendra Pachauri, the Indian economist who chairs the UN IPCC, has proposed the changes. Pachauri, who is himself a vegetarian, believes the only solution to prevent global catastrophe is for us to cut down on our burgers, steaks, and BBQ chicken.

Despite his lack of any formal credentials in climatology or physical science, Pachauri has just been reelected to his second six-year term at the head of the world's most powerful climate organization.

The UN Food and Agricultural Organization estimates 18% of human-generated greenhouse gas emissions come from meat production. By contrast, only 13% of emissions come from transport.

Pachauri's remarks were made at a Compassion in World Farming Meeting in London yesterday, a group which believes killing animals for food is morally wrong. CIWF Spokesperson Joyce D'Silva, who attended alongside Pachauri, enthused over the possibilities of reducing meat consumption, "The climate change angle could be quite persuasive.”

"Surveys show people are anxious about their personal carbon footprints and cutting back on car journeys and so on; but they may not realize that changing what's on their plate could have an even bigger effect", she said.

D'Silva called for a Kyoto-like International Treaty to regulate meat production and consumption. Pachauri himself favors a more indirect approach, the so-called "carbon tax" he has advocated on previous occasions:

If there were a (global) price on carbon perhaps the price of meat would go up and people would eat less. But if we're honest, less meat is also good for the health, and would also at the same time reduce emissions of greenhouse gases.

In related news, an Australian researcher has proposed that we return to hand-washing of clothes to combat climate change. Hand washing clothes would be much friendlier to the environment, the study concludes

Even more exciting is his discovery that "smell-friendly" cotton can be worn without washing more times than a polyester blend, further reducing our energy consumption:

Mr. Navarro, who was commissioned to do a "cradle-to-grave" study of the energy costs of clothing manufacturers, said the use of "smell-friendly" fibers would assist in increasing the number of times a shirt is worn between washes.

"Research shows that polyester is related to more intense sweat odor than cotton," he said.

"This means it is easier to wear a cotton t-shirt more than once before washing than a polyester t-shirt.

Critics of the environmentalist movement have often claimed they're "trying to turn us all into stinky, unwashed vegetarians". With these technology advances in "smell friendly fibers", it's a relief to see at least we don't have to worry about the stink.

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I'm a mmgw "denier". I have also been a vegetarian and a vegan several times in my life, and currently am observing a vegan diet over the last 6 weeks with a plan to stay on this diet indefinitely. A plant-based diet has a great number of health benefits (my cholesterol alone went from 200 to 140, and I've lost 15 lbs), as well as a positive effect on the environment (or at least a much less negative effect).

Are you opposed to a reduction in meat consumption? Is not the burgeoning overfat problem in America very alarming? I don't know if there is a link between cow methane and global warming, but certainly you can appreciate clean less-polluted air and a human diet with vastly reduced animal hormones and animal fats?

Problem is, jackasses like these use climate change to pull crap like this to make it hard for people that don't necessarily agree with them on certain subjects. It sure seems like this guy like his veggies and wants others to share his views. So he comes up with this BS that influences legislation and raises the price on beef. Thanks jackoff...I like a burger every once and a while.

You be a vegetarian, I'll eat some tasty steak. I'm not trying to raise the price of a turnip.

From the perspective of free choice-- not in the least. There's no question that a reduction of dietary meat would be beneficial to the health of nearly everyone.

However, I don't believe that's a decision that should be forced upon anyone. If someone enjoys cheeseburgers enough to eat two for every meal-- more power to them. Beyond educating them as to the risks and benefits of their dietary choices, I don't believe there's anything else the government should do.

The problems with fat people in America has absolutely nothing to do with eating meat. You can just as easily get fat from eating to much vegetables and fruit. The problem is that people are lazy and don't exercise. And eat tons of fast food. There is a big difference between eating a steak or cooking some ground beef to put in spaghetti and eating a double cheeseburger from McDonalds.

And a pure vegan diet has some health benefits and detriments. Mankind has been eating both meat and vegetables for thousands of years. There is no reason to stop eating either. Cow farts do not pollute the air. Make it smell bad where all the cows are, yes.

As others have said, I'll stop eating meat when I'm dead. So when you're ready to kill me to stop me from eating it, I'll have the gun loaded.

> You can just as easily get fat from eating to much vegetables and fruit"

Well, not *just* as easily. Meat and oils do tend to carry a much higher caloric content per unit weight. Getting fat on a diet of carrots and celery is pretty difficult, and even potatoes tend to have about half the calories per gram as meat.

But your point is taken. The problem of obesity is more one of exercise and diet portions, rather than due to our eating of meat.

While it is true that exercise plays a key role in health, the American diet is filled to the brim with unnecessary weight gainers. Look at the ingredients label to pretty much anything you purchase at the store, and you will see: high xxxxtose syrup, eggs, whey, milk solids, milkfat, butter, cheese, beef stock, chicken stock, and animal fats. You would not believe how prevalent animal products are in everyday foods.

And Michael is correct, it is very difficult to get fat on celery and carrots. Even vegetables which are high in oils (like avocados) pale in comparison to your average burger or fast-food animal fat french fries.

There are some detriments - you just have to supplement your way around them. There are quite a few aminos or vitamins that don't come naturally in vegetables - Taurine, for instance, comes in red meat and is used in tissue recovery. You don't get it without supplenting. B12 (as mentioned in the article you cited) comes in animal or animal products so a Vegan diet would need to supplement to make it up.

My problem with Vegetarian and Vegan lifestyles is actually twofold - 1. that they tend to be activistic and to try and influence others to join them (TEND, not always but tendency) and 2. They are inherently imbalanced for a race that is biologically omnivorous. We need certain things that just are not available in plants OR are only available in certain plants which are not available everywhere. . .

in any case - you stick with your Vegan and absolutely, more power to you! I have friends who are Vegan or Vegetarian and I'll happily eat a cheese sammy if I'm out to eat with you. (as close as I'll come! LOL)

yes, actually there are detriments. Only someone who is not very active and has low muscle mass can get enough calories and protein without eating extreme amounts of food (unless they turn around and put fat and suger on everything).

The supposed 2700 calorie for day recommendation for a male for example, is only a maintenance level for a thin geek-looking 18 year old body type. A full grown healthy male will have to be consuming more. Where do all these vegetables come from?

Do you realize how many beans and potatoes, veggies which are far higher than average in veggie calorie density, it takes to reach 3000 calories or more? Do you realize we simply do not HAVE enough vegetables for everyone to stop eating meat? Never forget that one of our meat sources is the ocean, it's not so simple as just saying we should convert the cattle farm feed crops into human feed crops.

The point is you have to actively work achieve a balanced diet. We are in fact omnivores; you can live as a vegetarian or even a pure carnivore if you are willing to work to achieve the balance. I will not deny, on average people eat more meat than we should, but since we are not designed to live on vegetable matter alone (no extra stomachs, too short of a digestive track, lack of specific enzymes, no symbiotic organisms for cellulose digestion or re digestion of our own waste) the amount of land to maintain even half of our population on a balanced vegan diet would devastate the planet. Genetics is also a major factor, high HDL and you have no worries about cholesterol (which is critical for our cell structure), similarly too low a level and you have very serious health problems also. More fat is generated from eating simple plant products in the form of the simple sugars than from animal fat, it’s probably the fries and soda and ketchup contributing to the overweight problems far more than the burgers. Balance is the best path.

Fat and sugar added to foods account for most obesity, not the fat present in a lean cut of meat that's a portion sufficient for daily protein requirements, and certainly it's very hard to consume excess calories from veggies.

Back of the envelope calculation, a man with 2700 calorie a day requirement would have to eat approximately 10 cans of kidney beans and 11 cups of carrots, inbetween runs to the toilet (pun intended).

Sorry to burst your bubble, but eating potatoes will make you fat. Diets high in carbs (and in particular refined carbs of sugar, flour, and high fructose corn syrup) will make you fat.

Studies have shown that eating meat, poultry, fish, cheese, eggs, and low starch veggies and fruits (berries come to mind) are most healthful for humans. When on such a diet calories really don't matter (unless you are trying to lose weight).

Wow you guys really are uninformed. A well-balanced vegan diet has *everything* the human body needs to be healthy, active, and even gain muscle mass if necessary. There are prominent world-class athletes who are vegan.

And no, a well-balanced vegan diet does not have a person eating 18 potatoes or 6 cans of beans or any other ridiculous number of a single food type every day.

You want to be meat-eaters, that is fine because I grew up a meat-eater. But stop espousing non-factual talking points for the purpose of being sarcastic or combative.

My phone rings off the hook from the local blood donation organization due to my blood being high in iron and free of contaminants that >98% of the general population has.

My doctor has given me a clean bill of health and even said he might try a strict vegetarian diet for a while.

quote: My phone rings off the hook from the local blood donation organization due to my blood being high in iron and free of contaminants that >98% of the general population has.

Do you really have to lie to make a point? Do you think we're idiots? Blood centers don't test for "contaminants" except for things like AIDs and the like. And the only people ever called are those with rare blood types, not because your blood is somehow "cleaner".

No lie, and yes they do. Only very pure blood can be transfused to infants, and therefore my blood is in high demand. Has nothing to do with blood type, Rh, or antigen. Look it up on your local blood donation organization's website or your state's health & human services division website.

It's funny (in a sad way) when people who think they know something about a process argue with someone who actually does the process.

You have to admit that eating properly as a vegan is a lot more work. Not only do you have to be more careful of what you eat but it is also harder to find foods you can eat. It's not like you can stop in at the local McDonalds and eat what they call "food" if you don't feel like cooking.

No doubt at all. Anyone considering a Vegan diet needs to be prepared for constant food/cooking planning. After a month or two, it becomes easier. One of the outcomes is that you learn for the most part to completely avoid junk food, fast food, and even restaurants. You will lose weight.

For meat-eaters, I wouldn't recommend doing vegan for a short-term diet. A vegetarian diet would be better/easier for a meat-eater to adapt, if only doing it for a short while. Also, a vegetarian diet is a good segway to a vegan diet.

That's 'segue'. And veganism involves more than dietary restrictions; it also involves neo-religous shunning of all animal products, including things like leather and fur, and even silliness such as avoiding zoos and circuses.

The problem is not whether we should eat less meat - we probably should - it is whether government should have the ability to compel us to do so. Why stop at meat? Why not have compulsive Tai Chi classes in the park, a government imposed bedtime, and mandatory pre-dawn calisthenics? All these things are arguably good for your health but how many of us really wants a government with that authority?

The government already has that type of authority due to liberals/socialists/unions. I agree with you that I don't want the government controlling any more of my life than they already do.

However where public funds are involved, such as food programs in public schools or food stamps programs, the government should reduce the reliance on meat/dairy and encourage more vegetable/fruit intake.